Injuries
by MadelineSnape Esq
Summary: Things go slightly wrong during an interview with a suspect and Sandra ends up hurt. Short one shot exploring an existing relationship between Sandra and Strickland.


**Injuries**

 _Disclaimer- I own nothing I wish I did but I just get to play with the characters._

"Uh-oh look out big boss ahead, I'm sure he can't wait to give us a bollocking." Gerry called out using his head to indicate the man waiting for them in their office.

"More like over protective boyfriend waiting to go all mother hen on you Sandra, prepare yourself." Jack warned her trying hard not to laugh.

"Oh just go in I'm too tired to stand out here trying to hide from him." She growled at them, the day had been far too long and she was far too tired to be playing games.

After a serious altercation with a murder suspect left them with bumps and bruises they then had to spend three hours at the scene getting everything cleared up. Now that all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed they slowly managed to make their way back to their little home. There was plenty of paperwork left to be done but they all agreed that was a task best left for tomorrow. A warm soothing cup of tea was what they were really after.

Of the four of them Sandra was by far the worst for ware, she had a large bump on her forehead and a split lip from where their suspect had hit her and thrown her into the nearest wall. Her whole body ached from being thrown around by the savage man they now had in custody. All she wanted to do was go in and sit down, maybe even manage to drink some tea. Being interrogated by her boss and boyfriend Robert Strickland was not on her list of things she was looking forward to. Yet she also knew there was no way she could avoid it, her only options were either deal with him here or when they got home. With a sigh she led the other three men through the doors entering the UCOS office.

"Sandra are you alright? What the hell were you four thinking?" Robert cried out the moment he saw her, he had been pacing the floor til they walked in. He scanned her up and down accessing her injuries. The visible ones seemed to be confined to her face but that didn't make him feel any better. Her bruised and split lip looked like it hurt a great deal and he knew the bump on her head couldn't have felt better yet.

"I'm fine" she tried to reassure him as she slowly moved in his direction. She had changed her mind, she didn't care if he yelled at them as long as she could be in his arms. "It was not as though we planned to enter Hubert's house so he could attack us. We took precautions they just didn't turn out to be as effective as we would have liked." She added trying to explain to him that it wasn't really their fault and he shouldn't be upset with her.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, he could have kill all of you." He sighed closing the last bit of distance between them.

"Well he is now sitting in a jail cell so I think we're safe." She said flashing him a bright smile that in no way matched her mood.

He swept her up into his arms and gently kissed her forehead, he needed to touch her to make sure she was actually real. He didn't care that they were at work and they had rules about displays of affection. He had almost lost her.

Sandra willingly melted into his arms happy to be there, he pulled her close and was tightening his embrace when suddenly her shoulder erupted in pain. The source appeared to be his hold on her right shoulder and she let out a gasp from the pain. It took her completely by surprise and it was moment before she could respond.

"Ow" she cried in shock trying to pull away, an automatic response to stop the pain. Strickland didn't understand what he had done and instead he held tight to her shoulder in error. This only caused her let loose a guttural cry of pain as her knees buckled, she clung to him as best she could and he quickly adjusted his embrace slightly and held her to him so she did not fall.

"Sandra" he cried out in shock and fear. "What's wrong?" he was desperate to help her.

"My shoulder" she managed to get out as she was panting, trying to endure the pain he had unintentionally caused. At her words he immediately let go of her shoulder placing his hand on her back instead.

"But DI McDowell said you only sustained injuries on your head and face?" he questioned her confused.

"I hit my shoulder when he threw me against the wall, but it was fine, it didn't hurt." She professed yet she was still breathing heavily even though he was no longer latched on to her injured shoulder. It still hurt but mostly she was very confused, her shoulder had not been bothering her at the scene.

"Let me look at it" he requested as he escorted her over to the sofa.

"No I'm fine" she insisted but she didn't put up a fight.

"You are not fine, if you are in that kind of pain just because I touched it, something is very wrong." He reminded her trying to sound stern but all he had was concern for her. "Now let me see it." He practically ordered her with panic in his voice.

"Robert please it doesn't matter, I just want to sit here with you for a minute, okay?" she tried once more to convince him that everything would be alright, she just wanted to sit there with him and close her eyes for a minute.

"No it isn't okay, now let me see" he demanded holding her closer. She looked over to see her three colleagues watching with looks of dismay and fear etched on their faces. After weighing her options she decided to give into the man she loved and trusted.

"Alright" she whispered, it was clear she had little choice and she was unlikely to find any help or support from the guys, they were watching just as intently and just as concerned. She rested her head against him, all she wanted to do was sit there forever.

Robert pulled the collar of her shirt down taking her bra along with it so that he had an unobstructed view of her shoulder.

"My god" he cried as he caught sight of her shoulder and arm. There was a giant bruise over her entire shoulder reaching towards her collarbone. It was one of the worst bruises he had ever seen. Along with the blacks, blues, and purples common with a serious bruise there were additional colors that he had never seen on a bruise before. "Why didn't you get this checked out?" he demanded looking at her in shock. She had to have been in quite a lot of pain and yet she was trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"It didn't hurt till you touched it, it's just a bruise, it will be fine." She argued her exhaustion evident in her voice as she tried to pacify him.

"It is not just a bruise it looks horrible, your shoulder or your collarbone could be broken you need to go to AE and get it checked out right now." He insisted a determined look on his face.

"No I just want to sit and have some tea "she moaned she didn't want to leave again just yet.

"I don't care, you should have been checked out at the scene and taken straight to hospital." He told her shaking his head not swayed by her moans.

"It didn't hurt and I'm fine" she repeated, she didn't understand why he wouldn't listen to her.

"You are not fine so please stop saying that" he cried, it worried him immensely that she had not felt any pain till he touched her. "Come on I am not letting you sit here anymore, we are leaving right now." He ordered her as he tried to get her up off him and the sofa.

"No please" she begged but she was in no condition to stop him as he forced her stand once more.

"I don't understand why it didn't hurt earlier?" he asked aloud as he tried to help her walk towards the door.

"She must have been in shock" Jack told him, though he too was surprised she had not felt the injury over the last three hours.

"Come to think of it he did throw her against the wall with a great deal of force" Brian told him. It was not exactly what the younger man wanted to hear and he let out a sigh.

"Thanks for all you're help boys" she cried sarcastically at them. "You guys should go home get some rest" she called to her team as they finally made it to the door.

"Don't worry about us, just make sure you get yourself fixed up." Gerry told her shooting her a weak smile.

"Give us a ring when you get checked out" Jack replied before she disappeared into the elevator.

"Did you know she had hurt her shoulder?" Gerry asked Jack as they moved gingerly around the office.

"No, did you?" the other man replied shaking his head, he felt slightly guilty that they hadn't notice she was hurt.

"No I didn't, what about you Brian?" Gerry questioned the other man.

"I had no idea. She had to have been in a terrible amount of pain how could she possibly not notice even if she was in shock?" Brian wondered aloud.

"Because she is stubborn, come on forget the tea I want to go home, for the first time in a long time I want a nice hot bath." Jack called as he slowly walked to the door, there wasn't anything they could do for Sandra now. He was confident the doctors would get her patched up and Strickland would make her rest. All they could do now was take care of themselves.

"Coming I'll give you a lift Brian" Gerry called as he followed Jack, Brian didn't even bother to say anything he just followed.

Three hours later Sandra and Strickland entered their now dark house. Sandra's shoulder and arm were wrapped in a bandage and rested in a sling against her body to help prevent movement. Thankfully she hadn't broken any bones but she had torn several ligaments in her shoulder and around her collarbone. She was under strict instructions not to move her arm at all for forty eight hours and no strenuous activity for two weeks. Not that she could do much with her arm completely out of action. The doctor had also ordered her to take a few days off work and rest, a thought Sandra did not like yet was forced to accept. She knew there was no way she would have been able to convince Strickland to allow her to go to work even if the doctor had given her permission. And if by some miracle she did make it to the office there would be three other men to deal with.

"Come on let's get you up to bed, the drugs the doctor gave you should put you out like a light." Robert reminded her as he helped her up the stairs.

"I am so tired" she moaned as she leaned on him for support.

"I know just a little further and you can lie down I promise." He assured her as he helped her up the last few steps and into the bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and tried to get her undressed and into some pajamas.

"I'm sorry" she said looking at him with upset eyes.

"For what?" he asked confused.

"For getting hurt" she replied softly. Robert knew at once the drugs had kicked in because there was no way the real Sandra Pullman would apologize for getting hurt.

"It is hardly your fault" he assured her as he helped her lay down under the covers. He then sat on the other side of the bed next to her, he would have preferred to hold her in his arms but he couldn't find a way to do so without causing her pain.

"But I can't even kiss you cause he broke my lip" she argued clearly upset by this.

"You will be better in a few days and then you can kiss me all you want." He promised smiling at her.

"I was scared "she admitted and his smile disappeared.

"When he hurt you?" he asked her.

"Yes, I was afraid of what he would do he was so strong, I thought I wasn't going to see you again." She told him and tears pooled in her eyes. He cursed inwardly, the drug were supposed to put her to sleep not upset her.

"You are safe now and he can never hurt anyone ever again thanks to you." He reassured her running his hand up and down her uninjured arm.

"All I wanted was to see you, I wanted to be in your arms safe from him." She continued as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'm sorry I wanted to be there" he told her softly wiping her tears away. It was always his desire when he knew she was walking into danger. Even though he knew she could handle herself he wanted to be there to protect her from anyone or anything that wanted to hurt her. Yet he was never around when she got hurt, when she needed him, it made him feel useless as though he had let her down in some way.

"I wish you had been there" she replied. He knew that his normal Sandra would never admit to such things and she would deny it when the drugs wore off. But for right now it was nice to see the vulnerable Sandra, the one that admitted she was scared and that she in fact wanted someone with her.

"Shh everything is fine now, you just close your eyes and you will feel a lot better." He replied trying to calm her, she needed to relax not suffer more anxiety.

"Promise?"

"I promise, sleep now I will be right here when you wake up."

"Thank you" she said softly as sleep took over her. "Call Jack" she instructed him with her last conscious thought.

"I will in the morning" he whispered. She was too asleep to hear him anyway. He brushed some hair off her face and kissed her forehead making sure to not touch the bump. Robert quickly changed into his own pajamas and lay back down with Sandra. He didn't want to let her out of his sight.

When he had first found out about the attack on her and her team he felt a mixture of worry and anger. He had long harbored the belief that her team was far too reckless. Her three pensioners took far too many chances for his liking and they only proceeded to teach her bad tricks. He couldn't believe they would endanger themselves and Sandra in such of way. He knew she would run head long into any trouble in an attempt to save them and he was angry at all four of them for getting hurt. Yet he couldn't help but be worried and scared, he had no idea what condition Sandra was in and he had desperately wanted to race to her. He hated having to wait for them to return before he could discover what had actually happened. Yet he acknowledged he had to trust her and he had to let her run her own show, she would only resent him if he hovered over her. Deep down her knew Gerry, Jack, and Brian would try to protect her as best they could but they couldn't protect her the way he could.

When they first started dating Robert had reluctantly agreed that he would not become an over protective boyfriend refusing to let her out in the field in dangerous situations. But now sitting there in the dark watching Sandra sleep he felt free to give in to these thoughts just for a moment. He could admit that he wanted nothing more than to protect her and he felt like a failure for not being there to watch over her.

He must have dosed off while lost in these thoughts because the clock read 12:35 when he next opened his eyes, he couldn't figure out what woke him at first. Then he noticed Sandra trying to move next to him, her eyes were half open.

"Sandra what's wrong?" he asked putting a hand on her good arm.

"Robert?" she asked confused.

"Yes I'm right here" he assured her.

"Why does it hurt" she moaned.

"You hurt your arm remember? Try not to move too much, let me get you another pain pill." He told her moving to get up.

"Don't leave" she begged him.

"I will be right back I am only going into the bathroom" he promised her.

"Okay" she replied weakly.

He moved as quickly as he could, returning to her in under a minute with the medication and a glass of water. He helped he sit up slightly allowing her to drink the water and swallow the tablets.

"There that will help make it hurt less." He promised her as he stroked her hair hoping to lull her back to sleep.

"Thank you" she said softly her eyes already closed once more.

"For what?" he asked confused.

"For taking care of me" she replied.

"I will always take care of you, always." It was more than a promise, it was a vow. He had felt like he let her down today somehow and he never wanted to feel like this way again. He knew there was no way to stop her from getting hurt in the future, no matter what he tried. But he could promise to always be there when she needed him to take care of her and hold her.

"I know you will" she said so softly he wasn't sure if she actually said it or if he had made it up in his head. He didn't know why exactly but for some reason her statement- if it was even real- made him smile.

A/N I honestly have no idea where the idea for this came from it has been on my computer for a while and I finally decided to let it out. Hope it was enjoyable to read. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.


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